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34 pages 1 hour read

Clifford Odets

Waiting For Lefty

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1935

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Before You Read

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Super Short Summary

Waiting for Lefty by Clifford Odets depicts a tense union meeting where taxi drivers debate whether to strike for better wages. Union leader Harry Fatt tries to suppress the idea, while workers share personal stories highlighting their struggles. As tension escalates, the search for their chairman, Lefty, ends in a shocking revelation, propelling the workers to fervently chant for a strike.

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

Reviews for Clifford Odets’ Waiting For Lefty reveal a poignant portrayal of working-class struggles that captures the spirit of the 1930s labor movement. Praised for its raw emotional power and social relevance, some critiques note its dated dialogue and occasionally one-dimensional characters. Overall, it remains an impactful and historically significant piece of American theater.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Waiting For Lefty?

Readers passionate about social justice issues and class struggles will enjoy Clifford Odets' Waiting for Lefty. Comparable to Upton Sinclair's The Jungle and John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, this play appeals to those interested in the labor movement and the plight of the working class during the Great Depression.

Book Details
Pages

32

Format

Play • Fiction

Genre
Setting

New York City • 1930s

Publication Year

1935

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

Lexile Level

NP

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